The False Claims Act (FCA) is federal law that makes it unlawful to defraud the U.S. government.
One unique feature of the False Claims Act is called “qui tam,” which allows an individual who knows about the fraud to sue on behalf of the U.S. government. The Act uses the term “relator” for a person who files such a case. With some exceptions, anyone with evidence of fraud on the U.S. government can be a realtor. If the relator’s lawsuit is successful, he or she may receive from 15 to 30 percent of the government’s total recovery. Recoveries can be up to three times the government’s actual losses from the fraud plus penalties of $5,500.00 to $11,000.00 for each occurrence of an ongoing fraud. The False Claims Act contains an anti-retaliation provision to protect relators who work for companies that defraud the government.
Filing a False Claims Act case is unlike filing most cases. The Act outlines a detailed process for filing and pursuing these kinds of cases. Properly filing the case for the government is crucial to the case’s success. For more information on filing a False Claims Act case please see Filing a False Claims Act Case.
David G. Schiller represents North Carolina employees in a wide range of cases — including False Claims Act (Qui Tam).
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You may call our office at (919) 789-4677 to discuss your False Claims Act (Qui Tam) issue or complete the form below.